Who Are the Americans Who Will Participate in the October Synod?

News from the Vatican this morning, where Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, has just announced the names of 253 individuals who will participate in the upcoming Synod which will be held October 5-19, 2014.

The word “Synod” (or “Synodus” in Latin) means “taking a path together.”  Participants will come together from around the world for the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.  The theme of their discussions will be “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization.”  Their aim, according to the Vatican Information Service, will be

“to propose to today’s world the beauty and the values of the family, which emerge from the proclamation of Jesus Christ Who disperses fear and supports hope.”

Of the 253 participants announced this morning, nine are Americans.  The five cardinals and archbishops participating are:

• Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
• Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, a member of the Ordinary Council
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, member of the Ordinary Council
• Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Archbishop William Skurla, Archbishop of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh

In addition, four Americans are among the auditors who have been invited to be present.  They are:

• Steve and Claudia Schultz, of International Catholic Engaged Encounter, and
• Jeffrey and Alice Heinzen, from the Diocese of La Crosse.  Jeffrey Heinzen is director of Natural Family Planning for the diocese; his wife Alice is NFP Coordinator for the diocese, and a member of the National Family Planning Advisory Board of the Episcopal Conference.

The Vatican Information Service explained that the list of participants for the Extraordinary Synod in 2014 is drawn from the five continents, and is subdivided as follows:

• 114 presidents of Episcopal Conferences,
• 13 heads of the ‘sui iuris’ Eastern Catholic Churches,
• 25 heads of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia,
• 9 members of the Ordinary Council of the Secretariat,
• the secretary general,
• the under-secretary,
• 3 nominees from the Union of Superior Generals, and
• 26 pontifical nominees.

Other participants include

• 8 fraternal delegates,
• 38 auditors, including 13 married couples, and
• 16 experts.

According to today’s press release,

In the dynamic of the renewal of the Church ordered by Pope Francis, the updating of the institution of the Synod is explained in particular in the preparatory process and in the process of the Assemblies themselves. This project, initiated with the convocation of the Synod Assembly, is developing in a new and renewed way, with concrete actions. The criterion for renewal is that of first painting the picture and then adding the frame. The rules in force provide the track along which the train of renewal proceeds. As we go ahead, the steps necessary for changing the rules or eventually setting about a full reconstruction of the Synod as an entity will become evident.

The itinerary of the next Synod will be divided into two phases: the Extraordinary General Assembly of 2014 and the Ordinary General Assembly of 2015. A new working methodology will be applied, rendering the process more dynamic and participatory, with speeches and testimonials, always with a view to continuity towards the second stage, after which the Synod document will be published”.

Last summer my fellow blogger on Patheos, Billy Kangas, wrote a clear explanation of what the Synod is, and how you can prepare.  His advice is still relevant today.